WSP New Zealand

Last updated

WSP New Zealand
Founded1876  OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
Headquarters,
New Zealand  OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
Services
  • Transportation
  • Buildings
  • Water and environmental
  • Other infrastructure
Revenue NZ$286,654,000 (2011)
NZ$31,233,000 (2011)
NZ$24,091,000 (2011)
Total assets NZ$187,803,000 (2011)
Total equity NZ$116,994,000 (2011)
Number of employees
3,000 (2013)
Subsidiaries
  • Opus International Consultants Holdings (UK) Ltd
  • Opus International Consultants (Canada) Ltd
  • Opus International Consultants (PCA) Pty Ltd
  • Opus International Pty Ltd
  • Opus International Consultants A Limited Partnership
  • Opus International Consultants (OPC) Ltd
  • Opus International Consultants Sdn Bhd
  • Kejuruteraan Opus Sdn Bhd
  • Opus International Consultants Pte Ltd
Website wsp.com/en-nz

WSP New Zealand Ltd is a global engineering professional services consulting firm based in New Zealand and owned by Canadian multinational WSP Global. Until October 2019 it traded as WSP Opus.

Contents

The New Zealand operation has 40 offices across the country and offers professional consultancy services, covering property and buildings, environment, power and water, transport, health and safety, architecture, sustainability and climate change, and research.

WSP history

Opus

Opus's origins can be traced to the Ministry of Works and Development, a New Zealand government entity that was established in 1876. The Ministry was corporatised in 1988 and became Works and Development Services Corporation, a state-owned enterprise, with its consultancy subsidiary known as Works Consultancy Services Corporation NZ Limited.

In 1996, Kinta Kellas purchased the consultancy business and it was rebranded as Opus International Consultants Limited the following year. From 2002 onwards, Opus developed its global markets through a series of acquisitions. In 2007, it was listed on the New Zealand Stock Exchange.

In 2016 Opus was named Company of the Year by New Civil Engineer (NCE) at that year's NCE100 Awards in London. The judges decided Opus as the winner after scoring the company high across all of the competition's categories of Engineering equality, Future engineer, World view, Future tech, and Technical excellence.

WSP Global

New-York professional services firm Parsons Brinckerhoff was purchased by WSP Global in October 2014.  Since then WSP has become one of the largest professional services firms in the world, with approximately 49,000 employees in 550 offices serving in 40 countries, and has acquired over 100 companies. [1] WSP offers professional services in rail and transport, property and buildings, environment, energy, industry, and resources.

In 2017 WSP Global took over Opus, which was subsequently delisted from the New Zealand Stock Exchange. In 2018 Opus's trading name was changed to WSP Opus, a name under which it traded until October 2019. On 15 October 2019, Opus International Consultants Limited changed its legal name to WSP New Zealand Limited and was branded as WSP.

Notable New Zealand projects

Waterview Connection Project

WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff joined the NZ Transport Agency, Fletcher Construction, McConnell Dowell, Beca, Tonkin + Taylor and Obayashi Corporation to form the Well-Connected Alliance.

WSP Opus was appointed as design partners for the $NZ1.4B Waterview Connection; the final link in Auckland's Western Ring Route and the largest roading project ever undertaken in New Zealand. 

The route included two 2.4 km (1.5 mi) twin tunnels and associated motorway and ramp infrastructure, along with the establishment of significant community facilities.  Australasia's largest custom-built tunnel boring machine, Alice, was used in the construction of the tunnel. With a cutting diameter of 14.4 m (47 ft) it is the tenth largest machine of its kind ever built.

In addition to design management, WSP provided tunnel; fire and life safety; geotechnical, mechanical, and electrical systems design services; and design support during construction. Construction for the Waterview Tunnel started in 2011 and was completed by June 2017.

Auckland Harbour Bridge

The Auckland Harbour Bridge is an eight-lane motorway bridge over the Waitematā Harbour in Auckland.[ citation needed ] It joins St Marys Bay in the south with Northcote in North Shore. It is part of State Highway 1 and the Auckland Northern Motorway. As part of the Auckland Harbour Bridge Alliance (AHBA), WSP Opus was commissioned to provide a 30-year coating management strategy for the Auckland Harbour Bridge. The strategy was completed and initiated in 2014. [2]

West Winds Wind Farm

West Winds Wind Farm comprises 62 wind turbines and generates up to 142.6 MW of electricity. [3] The farm is located at Mākara in the Wellington Region, New Zealand's windiest region. The wind farm is owned by Meridian Energy and can generate enough electricity each year for about 73,000 New Zealand homes. [4]

WSP Opus provided support from the earliest stages of feasibility to the wind farm's final opening. [5] Services included feasibility assessments, support at Environment Court hearings, design support, and geotechnical monitoring of earthworks. Work started in 2007 and was completed by December 2009.

The City Rail Link (CRL) is the largest-ever infrastructure project to be undertaken in New Zealand.

The $NZ 4.4 billion project under construction in Auckland involves creating a 3.5 km (2.2 mi) long double-track rail tunnel underneath Britomart Transport Centre and Mount Eden Railway Station; the building of two new stations, at Aotea Square and Karangahape Road; and conversion of Britomart's existing terminus station into a through-station to Mount Eden Station, which will serve as an interchange between the new CRL line and the existing Western Line.  WSP Opus joined Vinci Construction Grands, Projets S.A.S, Downer NZ Ltd, Soletanche Bachy International NZ Limited, AECOM New Zealand Limited and Tonkin+Taylor Limited to form the Link Alliance in 2019.

In October 2018, a partnership between RCR Tomlinson and WSP Opus was awarded the contract to deliver the C7 programme of work [6] to deliver underground rail systems including rail tracks, signalling, overhead lines, control system rooms, communications, and building works. In November 2018, RCR Tomlinson announced administration and was placed in a trading halt on 12 November 2018.  In August 2019 the Link Alliance was awarded the contract to deliver the C3 main works for CRL, including the stations and tunnel. CRL will be complete in 2024.

Te Ahu a Turanga: Manawatū Tararua Highway 

In September 2019, the NZ Transport Agency and Palmerston North City Council announced development plans for the Te Ahu a Turanga:  Manawatū Tararua Highway. The $NZ 620 million project will accommodate a new state highway connection to replace the closed State Highway 3 (SH3) Manawatū Gorge route. This 11.5 km (7.1 mi) corridor crosses the Ruahine Ranges immediately north of the Manawatū Gorge and south of Saddle Road. [7]

The project will be delivered by the Advance Alliance which is made up of WSP Opus, Fulton Hogan, HEB, and Aurecon. WSP will provide roading, structural and geotechnical design, drainage design, hydrological modelling, planning and consenting, road lighting, and electrical disciplines. [8]

Dunedin Hospital redevelopment

Dunedin Hospital is the largest public hospital south of Christchurch. It has over 300 beds and is operated by the Southern District Health Board (SDHB). On 4 May 2018, Health Minister, David Clark, announced that the Government would rebuild and extend the hospital. [9] The new hospital will provide 396 inpatient beds (later increasing to 454 by 2043), and 61-daybeds. 

On 1 November 2018, the Ministry purchased a large block of land from the former Cadbury factory site in the central city to be used for the Dunedin Hospital Redevelopment. [10] In 2019 the SDHB released the official design plans for the redevelopment of Dunedin Hospital. On 17 May 2019, the SDHB announced that WSP Opus will provide the demolition property and building survey, and Underground Overground Archaeology continues to provide heritage advice. [11] The main demolition works are scheduled for early 2020 with project completion forecast for 2030.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rail transport in New Zealand</span> Overview of rail transport in New Zealand

Rail transport in New Zealand is an integral part of New Zealand's transport network, with a nationwide network of 4,375.5 km (2,718.8 mi) of track linking most major cities in the North and South Islands, connected by inter-island rail and road ferries. Rail transport in New Zealand has a particular focus on bulk freight exports and imports, with 19 million net tonnes moved by rail annually, and 99.5% of New Zealand's exports and imports being transported through the country's seaports.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waitematā railway station</span> Multimodal transit station in New Zealand

Waitematā railway station, commonly known as Britomart railway station or Britomart Transport Centre, is the public transport hub in the central business district of Auckland and the northern terminus of the North Island Main Trunk railway line. It combines a railway station in a former Edwardian post office, extended with expansive modernist architectural elements, with a bus interchange. It is at the foot of Queen Street, the main commercial thoroughfare of the CBD, with the main ferry terminal just across Quay Street.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">State Highway 1 (New Zealand)</span> Road in New Zealand

State Highway 1 is the longest and most significant road in the New Zealand road network, running the length of both main islands. It appears on road maps as SH 1 and on road signs as a white number 1 on a red shield, but it has the official designations SH 1N in the North Island, SH 1S in the South Island.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Zealand Railways Department</span> Government agency (1880–1982)

The New Zealand Railways Department, NZR or NZGR and often known as the "Railways", was a government department charged with owning and maintaining New Zealand's railway infrastructure and operating the railway system. The Department was created in 1880 and was corporatised on 1 April 1982 into the New Zealand Railways Corporation. Originally, railway construction and operation took place under the auspices of the former provincial governments and some private railways, before all of the provincial operations came under the central Public Works Department. The role of operating the rail network was subsequently separated from that of the network's construction. From 1895 to 1993 there was a responsible Minister, the Minister of Railways. He was often also the Minister of Public Works.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ministry of Works and Development</span>

The New Zealand Ministry of Works and Development, formerly the Department of Public Works and often referred to as the Public Works Department or PWD, was founded in 1876 and disestablished and privatised in 1988. The Ministry had its own Cabinet-level responsible minister, the Minister of Works or Minister of Public Works.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WSP Global</span> Canadian consulting firm

WSP Global Inc. is a Canadian consulting firm. It was created in 2014, following Montreal-based Genivar's takeover of British firm WSP Group plc. It is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange. After the purchase of New York-headquartered professional services firm Parsons Brinckerhoff in October 2014, WSP effectively became one of the largest professional services firms in the world, with approximately 66,200 employees in 500 offices serving in 40 countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wynyard Quarter</span> Suburb of Auckland, New Zealand

The Wynyard Quarter is a reclaimed piece of land on the Waitematā Harbour at the western edge of the Auckland waterfront, New Zealand.

Traffic Design Group (TDG) was a consultancy in New Zealand. The largest specialist traffic engineering and transport planning consultancy in the country, they had offices in Auckland, Tauranga, Hamilton, Hawke's Bay, Wellington, Nelson, Christchurch and Queenstown and are nationally recognised in their field.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mouchel</span> UK business services company

Mouchel Group, originally known as L. G. Mouchel & Partners Ltd, was an infrastructure and business services company headquartered in Woking, United Kingdom. It provided advisory, design, project delivery and managed services associated with infrastructure and business services across the highways and transportation, local government, emergency services, property, health, education and utility markets across the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">State Highway 3 (New Zealand)</span> Road in New Zealand

State Highway 3 (SH 3) is one of New Zealand's eight national state highways. It serves the west coast of the country's North Island and forms a link between State Highway 1 and State Highway 2. Distances are measured from north to south.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Second Harbour Crossing, Auckland</span>

The Second Harbour Crossing is the name given to the proposed second transport link across the Waitematā Harbour in Auckland, New Zealand. Planners have also referred to new links across the harbour as the Additional Waitematā Harbour Crossing (AWHC) or the Waitematā Harbour Connections.

The 1930 Chatham Cup was the eighth annual nationwide knockout football competition in New Zealand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">City Rail Link</span> Rail project in New Zealand

The City Rail Link (CRL) is a rail project currently under construction in Auckland, New Zealand. The project consists of a 3.5 km (2.2 mi) long double-track rail tunnel underneath Auckland's city centre, between Waitematā and Maungawhau railway stations. Two new underground stations will be constructed to serve the city centre: Te Waihorotiu near Aotea Square and Karanga-a-Hape near Karangahape Road. Waitematā will be converted from a terminus station into a through station, and Mount Eden station will be replaced by Maungawhau station, a new station with four platforms to serve as an interchange between the new CRL line and the existing Western Line.

<i>Northern Explorer</i> Long-distance passenger train in New Zealand

The Northern Explorer is a long-distance passenger train operated by the Great Journeys New Zealand division of KiwiRail between Auckland and Wellington in the North Island of New Zealand, along the North Island Main Trunk (NIMT). Three services operate per week in each direction between Auckland's The Strand Station and Wellington railway station. The Northern Explorer replaced the Overlander from 25 June 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tonkin + Taylor</span>

Tonkin + Taylor is an employee-owned environmental and engineering consultancy company. Its head office is in Auckland, New Zealand with offices in Australia, Malaysia and the wider Asia Pacific region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great Journeys New Zealand</span> Tourism division of KiwiRail

Great Journeys New Zealand is the tourism division of KiwiRail that operate its three Scenic train services. The new division was launched in May 2017 and replaced the former tourism brand KiwiRail Scenic Journeys. It has continuity with the earlier InterCity Rail (1987–1995) and Tranz Scenic (1995–2011).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Commercial Bay (skyscraper)</span> New Zealand office tower and shopping center

PwC Tower at Commercial Bay is a mixed-use office tower and retail development in Auckland, New Zealand, completed and officially opened in July 27, 2020.

Ballance is a farming community in Tararua District and Manawatū-Whanganui region of New Zealand's North Island. The main settlement is located on the west back of the Mangahao River, south and west of Woodville and 11 km north-west of Pahiatua.

References

  1. "Acquisitions (Company website)"
  2. "Projects | WSP". www.wsp.com. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
  3. "West Wind farm – Wellington". Meridian Energy. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
  4. "West Wind farm – Wellington". Meridian Energy. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
  5. "Projects | WSP". www.wsp.com. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
  6. "Procurement". City Rail Link. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
  7. "Te Ahu a Tūranga: Manawatū-Tararua Highway". www.pncc.govt.nz. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
  8. "WSP and Aurecon partner for NZ highway". environment-analyst.com. Retrieved 16 October 2019.
  9. "New $300 million wing announced by Health Minister David Clark as next stage of Taranaki Base Hospital redevelopment". Stuff. 13 October 2019. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
  10. MOH (15 March 2019). "Dunedin Hospital redevelopment project". Ministry of Health. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
  11. Loughrey, David (4 May 2019). "Work for hospital to start soon". Otago Daily Times Online News. Retrieved 14 October 2019.

Further reading